Child marriage in Meghalaya has been declining due to the effectiveness of laws to combat the menace, Meghalaya’s Social Welfare Minister JA Lyngdoh said. “The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 which effectively deal with problems of child marriage and has in place a comprehensive mechanism, is proving to be a success,” Lyngdoh said while inaugurating the Consultant Meet on Marriageable Age on Monday. He said the Department of Social Welfare had notified the District Social Welfare Officers as Child Marriage Prohibition Officers for effective implementation of the Act and also to create awareness amongst the public. Recognizing that children under 18 years constitute a significant chunk of India’s population, Lyngdoh said the government was committed to the welfare and development of children as well as to ensure that women’s rights were protected. He further said that the State Women’s Commission had been set up to cater to meaningful redressing of issues concerning girls and women in the state. Meanwhile, National Commission for Women member Wansuk Syiem said child marriage was largely prevalent in the rural areas of the country despite the Child Marriage Act- 2006 under which stringent action had been prescribed for the violation of the law.